He runs the floor like a man much smaller. He flies through the air for resounding dunks. He makes moves a 6-foot-10 player should not make.

It’s not Superman. But Blake Griffin has played superbly at the outset of this basketball season.

Griffin on Thursday scored 26 points on 11-of-17 shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds in not quite 27 minutes to lead the Clippers to a 104-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks before a sellout crowd of 19,218 at Staples Center in the Clippers’ home opener.

“He’s been great,” Rivers said. “I mean, he’s been great offensively and defensively and that’s what you want out of him. His energy, his leadership. … Where he’s at has just been phenomenal.”

Rivers talked about Griffin’s approach, though he had difficulty explaining it.

“It’s a tough one; it just is (different),” Rivers said. “He’s still fun and having fun, but he’s deadly serious, locked in defensively. And just talking more.”

Jamal Crawford, who contributed 15 points off the bench, has noticed.

“Blake is a top-shelf NBA player,” he said. “Whoever you want to say is at the top of the list, he’s right there. I always tell him that. … He’s driven. He wants to be better, be the best.”

Austin Rivers had 14 points off the bench and J.J. Redick scored 12. Redick said he has seen something different in Griffin, as well.

“I have noticed a difference in his approach,” Redick said. “I think he’s been more serious, he’s been more vocal. He’s always been a great player and he’s always brought it when the lights are on and it’s game-time, as evidenced by his numbers and his production. But he’s certainly stepped up his leadership.”

Griffin has changed a few things.

“I definitely have a different approach,” he said. “This summer I kind of evaluated everything, evaluated literally everything. Not just on the court, off the court. I’ve tried to keep myself thinking on the high level.

“I was taking care of my body. Not just workouts, but kind of educating myself on a lot of different things. So definitely taking a different approach. As far as basketball goes, still trying to play the same way, but leadership-wise, how I carry myself every day, I think I’ve tried to make that little change.”

Griffin said he read an abundance of books over the summer, from sports-themed to a couple on the Navy Seals.

The Clippers led 22-17 after one quarter, 51-43 at halftime and took an 85-68 lead into the fourth quarter, thanks to a 3-point basket by Austin Rivers at the third-quarter buzzer.

The Clippers led by as many as 28 points in the fourth. DeAndre Jordan contributed six points, 15 rebounds and four blocks.

The Mavericks, who were missing several players because of injury, got 17 points from John Jenkins and 16 from Dirk Nowitzki.

Thursday’s game marked the first time Jordan played against the Mavericks after first agreeing to sign with them as a free agent during the summer, before changing his mind and re-signing with the Clippers.

Clippers coach Doc Rivers had a bit of advice for Jordan prior to tip-off.

“Yeah, ‘Go play basketball,’” he said. “It’s a basketball game.”

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said his team is well past that.

“That’s over,” he said. “Our franchise moved on from that months ago.”

Jordan absorbed a hard foul from Nowitzki in the second quarter. Jordan kind of pushed Nowitzki with his arm as the two were tangled. Jordan was fired up and began screaming to no one in particular. Others joined in the verbal altercation, the end result being technical fouls called on Jordan, Griffin and Dallas’ Ray Felton.

Jordan downplayed it.

“He made a good NBA foul, and it was an emotional game, I’m trying to hype my teammates up and that’s it,” he said. “Nothing against Dirk at all.”

Nowitzki echoed that sentiment.

“Nothing really happened,” he said. “I tried to duck him and he hit me with the elbow, probably inadvertently, and then the next time down he got an offensive rebound and I just tried to foul him. I tried not to let him dunk and that was it. There was nothing else happening.”

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was in attendance. He told reporters before the game that, “You can change the players, you can change the owner, but the Clippers are who they’ve been for the last 30 years.”

Doc Rivers responded in a sarcastic tone.

“That’s so hurtful, I don’t know what to do,” he said. “Hey, listen. We are the Clippers. That’s my answer.”

Join the Conversation

We invite you to use our commenting platform to engage in insightful conversations about issues in our community. Although we do not pre-screen comments, we reserve the right at all times to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to us, and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. We might permanently block any user who abuses these conditions.

If you see comments that you find offensive, please use the “Flag as Inappropriate” feature by hovering over the right side of the post, and pulling down on the arrow that appears. Or, contact our editors by emailing moderator@scng.com.